Fire escape



Oct. 18, 1932. A. L. vANAssE FIRE ESCAPE .Filed Jan. 14, 193,1

2 sheet-sheet 1 Snom/woz Archie L.Vanasse.

Oct. 18, v1932. A. l.. vANAssE FIRE ESCAPE Filed Jan. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Archie Lyanasse.

BY HIS ATTORNEY -30 mental in appearance,

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 ARCHIE 'v ANASSE., 0F 'WATERBURY, .CONNECTICUT FIRE ESCAPE Application filed January 14, 1931. Serial No. 508,617.

This invention relates' to a fire escape consisting of a plurality of balconies connected by sliding poles for permitting persons to easily escape from the interior of a burning building.

One object of the invention is to provide a lire escape of the above n ature which will be readily accessible, not only from the roof, but also from any window along the front of the lo building.

A further object is to provide a fire escape ofthe above nature in which any of the balconies may be employed as porches when not in use as a fire escape. l

A further object is to provide a fire escape of the above nature in which a person escap ing from the ire may be safely conveyed from the lower balcony to the ground by means of a telescoping landing platform provided with a counterweight to slow up the rate of descent.

A further object is to provide a lfire escape of the above nature having a lock to prevent the counterweight from automatically raising the landing platform to the lirst balcony,

until desired.

A further object is to provide a fire escape of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornawhich will shorten the time of escape from a burning building, and which will be very eiiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying 35 drawings one form in which the inventionv may be conveniently embodied in practice. Y In the drawings: w

.Fig 1 represents a front view in eleva'- tionof a building having the improved fire v` escape installed thereon.

Fig. 2 is an end sectional view of the same, taken along the line 2`2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the same, the section being taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, looliing down upon the second balcony.

Fig. 4 is a similar'sectional plan view,

taken along the line down upon the first 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking balcony. 5g

` Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical'sectional view of the fire escape landing connected thereto.

at right-angles to t platform and the counter-weight mechanism he view shown in Fig.

5 along the line 6-6 thereof.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings in which 00 like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several numeral 10 indicates a building improved fire escape attached to the thereof. The fire e rality of horizontal ber in this instance,

views, the having the ront scape comprises a plubalconies, iive in numas indicated by the numerals 11. 12, 13,14 and 15.

Each of the balconies-comprises an open metal floor 16, an open front metal wall 17,

and a pair of end walls 18 and 19 of similar construction. Each balcony is supported y upon the building 10 by a plurality of triangular angle brackets 20, three in this instance, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In order to permit a person desiring to escape from the fire to rapidly descend from one belcony to the next balcony below, provision is made of a sliding poles 21 of said balconies,

and 22 located at the ends the pole 22 being tubular.

pair of smooth vertical Theleft-hand pole 21 passes through the intermediate balconies 12, 13 and 14 and is secured tothe door 16 of the upper balcony the third balcony, and the first balcony,

by means of flanged plates 23, 24 and 25 respectively, sald plates being attached to said floors 16 in any suitable manner as by bolts.

In order to permit the pole 21 from th the person to slide down e fourth balcony to the 90.

'j third, balconl and from the -secondA balcony to the lirstbalcony respectively, said pole ".passes loosely through the fourthl and sectively.- The pole-22 is likewise adapte topass loosely through circular open hatchways 30, 31 and 32 located in the fifth, third and first balconies, respectively. .The lower end -of the pole 22 is attached to the buildinglO at a point just below the second balcony 14 by vmeans of a bracket 32a.

. For the purpose of providing access to the lire escape from the roof of the building, the

Agole 22 is extended upwardly above the top alcony 11 and connected to a. horizontal cross-bar 33 by means of-a pair of opposed flanged plates 34and35. The cross-bar 33 -1s m turn supported at its ends by a pair of triangular brackets 36 and 37 connected to the roof 38 of the building.

When a 4person-desires to pass from the lower or first balcony 15 to the ground, it will only be necessary for him to step upon a circular food plate 3 8 located within the hatchway 32 and rigidly mounted upon.the bottom of a vertical rod 39 telescoping within the lower end of the tubular pole 22, the

bottom of the .latter being tapered as shown at-40 to provide a smooth joint, thus preventing injury to the users hands.

In order to check thel speed of descent of the foot-plate 38 under vthe weight of the section 47 person escaping, and also to permit said footplate to be automatically raised to the first balcony whenever desired, provision is made of a cylindrical counterweight 41 having a conical upper section 42 connected by a flexible cord 43 to the top of scoping rod 39.l The cord 43 is adapted to pair of pulleys 44 and 45, as shown in Fig. 5. The counterweight mechanism-is adapted to be protected from the action of the'weather by means of an angular housing 46 having an upper horizontal and a'downwardly-extending vertical section 48, said housing being secured to the front of the building as by lagscrews 49 passing through lugs 50formed integral with said housin 46.

For the purpose oflockingthe counterweight 41 in its uppermost position when the foot-plate 38 has reached the ground, provision is made of a locking bracket 51 pivotally vmountedl in thevertical section 48 of the housing 46 b lmeans of a horizontal rod 52. The locking bracket; is ada ted to be normally -pressed in a clockwise direction by .a spring 53 coiled around the rod 52 and havthe vertical teleof and ing its upper end hookedrover a pin 54 extending from said bracket 51. The locklng bracketlfisprovided with a curved upper face 55 having a slot 56 for fitting about the cord 43, and the movement of said bracket bracket By means of `this construction, when the counterweight 41 is rising, the conical portion 42 thereof will strike the roller 59 forcing the lockingbracket 51 Ato move about its pivot from the full line to the dotted lin'e -position shown in Fig. 5, and lpermittin the -couutcrweight to be movedbyl the weig t of the person standing onthe foot-plate 38 to the upper position shown in said figure, whereupon the locking bracket 51 vwill be forced to the right by the spring 53, thereby locking the counterweight in the raised position shown by dotted lines.

For the purpose' of releasing the locking bracket 51` to lpermit the counterweight to fall from the dotted to the full line position shown in Fig; 5 whenever desired, provision is made of a cable 61 attached to an eye 62 on the bracket 51 and vpassing over a pulley 63. The cable 61 has a handle 64 at its lower extremity, preferably located above the first balcony where it may be conveniently manipulated. The bottom of the vertical section 48 of the housing 46 is provided with a plurality, four in this instance, of .curved leaf-springs 65 having their lower ends 66 curvedinwardly and cushioned by the same number of coiled springs 67 seated in an enlarged annular flange 68 at the lower end of said' secwith agate 69, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, for detachably closing oil the open hatchways and permitting the safe use of the balcony as a porch except in case of fire. e Operation In operation, assuming thata lperson de siresto escape from the roof building, he will first gain access to the top balcony 11. run to the right-hand Aend therebalcony. He willthen run to theeleft-hand slide down the upper portion ofl the' pole 22 through the hatchway 30 tothe fourth 1 of a burning I end of this balcony. and slide down the pole- 2l through the hatchwa'y 26 to the third bal- .1125 cony, and so on until'he reachesA1he first bal- I .Upon reaching. this balcony, he

cony .15. will first run tothe right and step upon .the foozv-plate 38 which is flush with the-floor'of sal alcony. The .foot-plate 38 andthe tele- I tion by counterweight 41 may then be -readily released merely by pulling upon the hand.'e 64, whereupon the foot-plate 38 will rise from the dotted to the full line position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5.

During the upward movement of the footplate 38 just described, the downward motion of the counterweight 41 will be retarded and cushioned by the inwardly-extending leaf-springs and coiled springs 67 located at the bottom of the vertical casing section 48.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention ma be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specilic disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modilications and embodiments coming within th scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a fire escape, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal balconies located alongside a building, a pair of vertical poles near the ends of said balconies and passing therethrough, each of said balconies having a circular open hatchway surrounding one of said poles only, said hatchways being alternately on the right and left-hand ends of successive balconies, one of said poles being extended above the upper balcony and connected to the roof of the building, a slidable rod telescoping into the lower end of one of said poles and having a foot-plate secured thereto for permitting a person to escape from the lower balcony to the ground, a counterweight, and means operatively connecting said counterweight to the top of said slidable rod for checking the fall of said rod and automatically returning said foot-plate to its normal position at the lower balcony when the weight of the person is removed therefrom.

2. In a fire escape, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal balconies located alongside a building, a pair of vertical poles near the ends of said balconies and passing therethrough, each of said balconies having a circular openhatchway surrounding one of said poles only, said hatchways being alternately rod 39 attached thereto willl then- Amitting a person to on the right and left-hand ends of successive" balconies,

one of said, 'poles being extended above the upper balcony and connected tothe I roof of the building, ing into the lower end ofone having a foot-plate secured thereto for perescape' from the lower a "slidable vrod telescopof said poles and" balcony to thegro'und, and means for tempov rarily locking sai foot-plate in its lowermost position at the ground level.

3. In a fire escape, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal balconies located valongside a building, a pair )of vertical poles-near the ends of' said vbalconies and passing therethrough, each of said balconies having a circular open hatchway surrounding one of said poles only, said hatchways being alternately balconies, one of said poles'being extended above the upper balcony and connected to thev `on the right and left-hand ends of successive i nected to `the top of said slidable rod for y checking the fall of said rod and automatically returning said oot-plate to its normal position at the lower ba cony and means for temporarily locking said cot-plate in its lowerrnost position at the ground level.

4. In a fire escape, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontalbalconies located alongside a building, ends of said balconies and passing therethrough, each of said balconies having a circular open hatchway surrounding one of said poles only, said hatchways' being alternately on the right and left-hand ends of successive balconies, one of said poles being extended above the upper balcony and connected to the roof of the building, a slidable rod telescoping into the lower end of one of said poles and having a foot-plate secured thereto for permitting a person to escape from the lower balcony to the ground, means for temporarily locking said foot-plate in its lowermost position at the ground level, Vand means for unlocking said locking means.

5. In a fire escape for buildings, a balcony, a hollow pole supported in vertical position alongside the building'and passing through said balcony, a slidable rod telescoping into the bottom of said pole, a foot-plate secured to said rod, a counterweight for raising said foot plate to the balcony when released, means for locking said counterweight in its upper position, connecting said rod to said counterweight, and a weather-proof housing for said cord and counterweight.

6. In a re escape for buildings, a balcony, a hollow pole supported in vertical position alon ide the building and passing through said alcony, a slidable rod telescoping into a pulley-supported cord for' the bottom of said pole, a foot-plate secured to said rod, a. counterweight for raising said foot plate to the balcony when released, means for locking said counterweight in its -upper position, a pulley-supported cord for connectingsaid rod to said counterweight, and means for releasing said counterweight.

7. In a fire escape for buildings, a hollow pole supported in vertical position .alongside v the building, a slidable rod telescoping into the bottom of said pole, a foot-plate secured to said rod, a counterweight, a pulley-supported cord for connecting said rod with said counterweight, a weather-proof housing for said cord and counterweight, and means at the bottom of said housin for retardinlg1 and cushioning the fall of sai counterweig t 8. In a first escape for buildings, a hollow pole supported in vertical position alongside .the building, a slidable rod telescoping into the bottom of said pole, a foot-plate secured to said rod, a counterweight, a pulley-sup-` ported cord for connecting said rod with said counterweight, a weather-proof housing for i said cord and counterweight, and means at the bottom of said housing for retarding and cushioning the fall of said counterweight, said last-mentioned means comprising a plurality of inwardly spring-pressed, curved metal strips located within said housing.

9. In a lire-escape for buildings, a hollow pole supported alongside the building, a slidable rod telescoping into said pole and having a foot-plate secured to its lower end, a

. '.counterweight, a pulley-supported cord connecting said rod with said counterweight, a spring-pressed pivoted locking bracket located in the path of said counterweight, said bracket being adapted to be moved to one side by the upward movement of said counv terweight and to snap underneath said coun- 'bracket being adapted t0 be moved to one side by the upward movement of said counterweight and to snap underneath said counterweight when it passes above said bracket, whereby said counterweight will be locked in its uppermost position, and a manuallv-operated cord connected to said lookin bracket for moving it out from under said counterweight to permit the latter to autol matically raise the foot-plate to its uppermost position.

l1. In a fire escape, a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal balconies located alongside a building, a pair of vertical poles near the ends of said balconies andpassmg therethrough, each of said balconies having a circular open hatchway surrounding one of said poles only, said hatchways being alternately on the right and left-hand ends of successive' balconies, and temporarily locked gates 1ocated on each balcony to prevent access to said hatchways except at the time of a fire.

In testimony whereof, I have aixed my signature to this specification.

ARCHIE L. VANASSE. 

